China expresses concern to U.S. over warship passage through Taiwan Strait

BEIJING, Oct. 23 (Xinhua) -- China on Tuesday said it has expressed concern to the United States after two American warships passed through the Taiwan Strait.

Foreign Ministry spokesperson Hua Chunying made the comments at a daily news briefing.

"China has closely followed the passing of U.S. warships through the Taiwan Strait and monitored the whole process," said Hua.

She said the Taiwan issue concerns the sovereignty and territorial integrity of China and is the most important and sensitive issue in the China-U.S. relationship.

"We urge the U.S. to strictly abide by the three China-U.S. joint communiques and properly handle Taiwan-related issues so as to avoid impairing bilateral relations as well as peace and stability across the Taiwan Strait," Hua said.